Episode 343: Building Real Confidence as an Actor
Acting Business Boot Camp
In this episode, I dive deep into one of the most important and misunderstood parts of an actor's journey: confidence. Without confidence, you're benched. Without humility, you're a liability. Confidence is essential in the entertainment industry, but it has to be real—not performative, not overblown, and definitely not hubris. I break down how to build real, grounded confidence that will keep you moving forward in your voiceover or acting career, using neuroscience-backed tools and personal experience from over two decades in the industry. Key Topics Covered: Why confidence is essential,...
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Episode 342: Is Fear Standing In the Way of Your Success?
Acting Business Boot Camp
Today I want to talk about something that comes up in almost every coaching session I have with actors. Fear. Not just nerves before a big audition. Not just that pit in your stomach when you hit “submit” on a self-tape. I mean the kind of fear that quietly shapes your entire career. The fear that keeps you playing small, second-guessing yourself, or holding back in moments when you need to be bold. The fear that convinces you maybe this dream isn’t really for you. If you’ve ever found yourself thinking, “What if I’m not good enough?” or “What if I can’t handle...
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Episode 341: Shiny Object Syndrome
Acting Business Boot Camp
Episode Summary: In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on something I think we all struggle with at some point—especially if you’re a voice actor, on-camera actor, or creative trying to “make it”: shiny object syndrome. You know the feeling. You see someone post about a fancy new mic, a game-changing workshop, a big booking, and suddenly you're wondering… should I be doing that too? I’ve been there. I’ve spent the money. I’ve chased the dopamine hits. And I want to talk honestly about how jealousy, comparison, and impulse spending can quietly erode your confidence,...
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Episode 340: Interview with Aaron Marcus
Acting Business Boot Camp
How to Land Acting Work in Smaller Markets (And Why It’s More Accessible Than You Might Think) Have you ever thought that real acting work is only found in big cities? Like you have to be in New York or LA to make it? I used to think that too. But my conversation with actor Aaron Marcus on the Acting Business Boot Camp podcast really shifted that perspective. About Aaron Marcus Aaron Marcus has been a full-time actor for over 40 years, with nearly 1,300 bookings across film, TV, commercials, and more. You might have seen his scene with Tom Hanks in the film A Man Called Otto. Aaron...
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Episode 339: The Neuroscience of Decision-Making (And Letting Go of Limiting Beliefs)
Acting Business Boot Camp
It’s Mandy Fisher here, your Voiceover actor and creative coach. Today I want to dive into something that’s been on my mind a lot: how the neuroscience of decision-making can help us as actors and creative professionals. Because we’re not just making choices in auditions or on stage. We’re making decisions every single day that shape our careers, relationships, and—let’s be real—our self-worth. How the Brain Guides Our Creative Decisions Let’s talk brain science for a sec. The prefrontal cortex? It’s the part of the brain handling complex thoughts and decisions, like our...
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Episode 338: The Grammar Grumble
Acting Business Boot Camp
When we talk about acting tools, we usually mention headshots, reels, technique, or coaching. But punctuation? Not so much. And yet, punctuation—something you probably haven’t questioned since middle school—might be interfering with your most natural, honest performances. The Problem Most Actors Don’t Know They Have You get a script. Maybe it’s commercial copy, maybe it’s a scene. And without realizing it, your brain starts obeying the punctuation. Comma. Small pause. Period. Full stop, drop your pitch. Exclamation mark. Boost the energy, punch the line. Your body responds to those...
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Episode 337: Desperate Energy Is Hurting Your Career
Acting Business Boot Camp
Feeling behind in your acting or voiceover career? You’re not alone. But you might be burning through your creative energy in the wrong ways. In this blog, we’ll unpack something that rarely gets talked about in the entertainment industry: desperate energy. What it looks like, how it sneaks into your process, and why it might be the real reason you feel stuck. What Is Desperate Energy? Desperate energy is that anxious, frantic feeling that shows up when you think you're falling behind. It's applying to projects far below your rate just to stay busy ...
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Episode 336: The 3 P's of Procrastination
Acting Business Boot Camp
Episode Summary: Feeling stuck? You are so not alone. In this episode, I’m diving into one of the biggest roadblocks I see actors (and creatives of all kinds) face: procrastination. I’m breaking down my signature framework—the **3 P's: Perfectionism, Procrastination, and Paralysis—**and showing you how procrastination is often just fear wearing a clever disguise. I’ll help you reframe your stuck-ness, understand what’s really going on underneath the delay, and—most importantly—take messy, imperfect, courageous action. And yes, I’m also sharing how the energy behind...
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Episode 335: Dreams vs. Nightmares: What Are You Really Focused On?
Acting Business Boot Camp
Welcome back to the Acting Business Boot Camp podcast! 🎙️ I'm Peter Pamela Rose — casting director and certified life and career coach for actors. My mission? To help you break down the business of acting into clear, actionable steps that move your career forward. In today’s episode, I dive into a powerful concept from Energy Leadership by Bruce D. Schneider — the idea that we are constantly choosing between two mindsets: the dream and the nightmare. 💭 Are you focused on the dream of your acting career? Or are you unconsciously living in the...
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Episode 334: Burnout Isn’t Failure — It’s a Signal
Acting Business Boot Camp
Episode Summary: In today’s solo episode, Mandy Fisher gets real and raw about something that far too many actors and creatives are experiencing but not talking about enough: burnout. This isn’t your typical “self-care” pep talk. This is a grounded, honest conversation about the soul-deep exhaustion that can hit even the most passionate, high-achieving creatives. Mandy shares her personal experience with burnout — how it feels, why it happens, and what it actually means — and offers a compassionate, human-first way to start recovering. You’ll learn: Why burnout isn’t a...
info_outlineSo today, we are going to talk about goals for the first quarter of 2024.
January through March 31st is the first quarter of the year.
We are setting 3 to 5 goals for the first quarter of 2024.
Now, the other thing is that if you do the full yearly goals, you could break that down a little bit, baby-stepping into that first quarter.
But what I want you to be thinking of is the first of the year through March 31st.
That's where I want your focus to be because it's a much more bite-sized piece to apply your goals to and your positive thoughts and actions towards.
I want to give you some questions to think about:
The first question is, with these goals that you have, where do you feel you are at in achieving them?
Talk about what you've done in the past and where that has brought you.
And then the next thing I want you to ask yourself is, looking at where you are at in achieving them and what you've done in the past, how has that made you feel?
What are your emotions around it?
If you're sick and tired of being sick and tired, you will change.
Now, the reason why I asked you where are you at in achieving them and how does that make you feel because if you did write something down, "I feel like I've let myself down, I feel like I just keep procrastinating, I feel like I'm such a loser…"
I want you right now to feel that pain. I want you to feel it.
I want you to get uncomfortable. I want you to recognize all of those things that you just said. Why? Not because I'm some masochist. No, but because I want to get you to change. If you're sick and tired of being sick and tired, you'll change.
And then I was hoping you could write this: Today is the first day of the rest of my life.
There's that wonderful phrase "Do something today that yourself in year from now will thank you for."
Use your mind to govern your brain.
Perfectionism leads to procrastination leads to paralysis.
Now, I have one more journal question for you:
How do you feel when you do not do what you said you were going to do?
When you have a thought, that thought leads to an emotion and then to an action. Which then goes back to reiterating that initial thought.
I want you now to make three columns.
I want you to put one of your goals in the first column.
So you're going to put down one of your goals.
And then, in the second column, I want you to write down some thoughts that support that goal.
So, if my goal is to be a working actor, the thought or thoughts that you would want to write in that second column are I am a successful working actor.
I go from success to success in my acting career.
I love myself, and I approve of myself.
So some good positive affirmations around that goal. Because your thoughts need to back up that goal.
What else needs to back up that goal? Your actions.
So, I want you to take a look at whatever that goal is, and I want you to think of one to three small actions that you can take towards that goal.
What's your goal?
What are the thoughts that support the goal?
What are the baby actions that you can take towards supporting that goal?
And that is the secret to success.
It's your thoughts, and your actions must back up what you want.
I want you to go back now and look at your goals, and I want you to put next to them, whether they are a habit goal or an achievement goal.
So let's say I want to take a vacation in 2024, a two-week vacation in 2024. You need to save up for that. That's an achievement goal.
But let's say you want to practice your voice five times a week for half an hour each one of those times. That is a habit goal.
So take a moment and review all the goals you have written down and write down if they are habits or achievement.
I want you to look at each one of your goals, and I want you to ask yourself, is it a goal that is actually achievable or attainable by the end of the quarter?
Or is it a quarter/year project?
It should make you just a little uncomfortable.
If you babystep your goals enough so that those baby steps are something that you eagerly put yourself forward to do that help you to move in that direction, that is something that is great.
Again, that is great because it builds self-esteem. It builds confidence.
Now, I want you to look at your goals and I want you to ask yourself questions about them.
What is my motive for making my first goal, second goal, third goal happen for me?
What will I get out of making it happen? What is my motive?
We do things because there is something in it for us. And it's okay to be selfish.
When you get to those times when you really do not feel like doing the action step for your goal, you can remind yourself what your motive is.
And that's when you can really start asking yourself. How bad do I want it?
I consider that question to be the secret ingredient.
I operate like this all the time because not every single day do I feel like doing things towards my goals.
But when I remind myself what my motive is, I remind myself how it's going to feel when I achieve it. Ooh, baby, that lights a fire under my ass.